Sensor for imaging inside equipment
A system for monitoring performance of a machine for detection of visible signs of failure, includes: a machine enclosure housing machine parts; at least one canal through the machine enclosure acting as a visual conduit for providing a view into the interior of the machine; a guide rail within the canal for moving a camera into the interior; an interface to the machine configured to receive images from the visual conduit; and a repair network for linking the interface to a monitoring center that provides for the repair of problems with the machine.
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This application is a continuation of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/052060, filed on Mar. 19, 2011, which is a division of, and claims priority from, U.S. application Ser. No. 12/330443, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,952,641, which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 10/874,022, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,068.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention disclosed broadly relates to the field of machines and more particularly relates to the field of diagnosis of problems in machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONWhen a machine breaks down, it may be difficult and expensive to repair because disassembly may be required to diagnose the problem. There is also a frequent delay in obtaining parts to replace those broken once the problem has been diagnosed. The resulting down time is also a problem.
Remote monitoring of equipment needs different kind of sensors. Common sensors today include temperature sensors, weight sensors, position sensors, etc. The data from these sensors can be remotely viewed to diagnose the condition of the system. However, there are still situations where these sensors are not adequate to diagnose the problem and is necessary for a human being to open up the equipment and look at it. This process is time consuming and there needs to be a better way. The idea is to use imaging inside the equipment to handle situations that cannot be addressed by the above means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, according to the invention, a machine comprises an enclosure; a plurality of parts within the enclosure; and a visual conduit for providing a view inside of the enclosure for detection of visible signs of failure of the machine. The concept of a visual conduit encompasses a broad variety of devices including cameras inside the enclosure that provide images of the interior of the enclosure and alternatively selective transparency or translucence of the enclosure relative to at least some of the parts of the machine housed within the enclosure.
According to another embodiment of the invention a method for designing a machine comprises the steps of: selecting a first material for an enclosure; and selecting a second material for one or more parts within the enclosure; wherein the selection of the materials permits viewing of the parts under certain conditions.
According to another embodiment of the invention a system comprises an interface for receiving images from remote devices; one or more central servers for storing the images for further analysis using image processing techniques; and a transmitter for further distribution of the images to other destinations.
To describe the foregoing and other exemplary purposes, aspects, and advantages, we use the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:
While the invention as claimed can be modified into alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe camera 102 can be a still or preferably a video camera with flash, zoom, and other such features. It is preferably controlled by external controls 116. The camera 102 can be mounted on a track 108 and coupled to a motor 114 that is controlled by the external controls 116. The user is presented with the images provided by the camera 102 and can thus interactively control the orientation and movements of the camera to provide the desired images of the machine parts 104.
The camera 102 has a unique identifier (ID) and a wired or wireless link to the outside world for communication with a user. The unique identifier is transmitted to the outside world so that each machine can be identified from other nodes in the network. Alternatively, the camera 102 may be programmed to move automatically providing a set of images that may be stored and later viewed on demand to determine what caused a failure in the past. The light 106 can also be programmed to move automatically or can be moved manually by means of the external control apparatus 116.
An alternative image conduit is provided by a tube 110 having an internally reflective surface (preferably fiber optics) that transmits an image or images of the interior of the machine 100 to the outside. Such a tube 110 can include a camera and light as well. The tube is preferably flexible so that it can negotiate winding paths throughout the machine 100.
The cameras can be placed in locations where even highly obscured parts (such as part 112) can be imaged.
Referring now to
Referring to
Referring to
The interface 504 is linked, via a wireless link, with a personal digital assistant 514; and via the network 512 to a monitoring center 526. The monitoring center 526 includes: a remote data analysis module 528; a remote data requester 530; and a messaging/notification and business process integration module 532. The remote data analysis module 528 receives data originating from the monitored machine 502 and transmits the data to a corporate repair network 518. From there, the data can be stored in persistent storage 520, in proprietary business databases 522, downloaded to mobile devices 516 such as cell phones, or downloaded directly to the systems of users 524 who monitor the performance of the machines 502. The remote data requester 530 can be used by a user to request data gathered by sensors monitoring the machines.
The messaging/notification and business process integration module 532 is used to coordinate the tasks performed using various enterprise business applications that may not have compatible syntax or data structures. Module 532 can comprise software such as IBM's WebSphere Business Integration™ software or MQ Series.
What has been shown and discussed is a highly-simplified depiction of a programmable computer apparatus. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other low-level components and connections are required in any practical application of a computer apparatus.
Therefore, while there has been described what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other modifications can be made within the spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A system for monitoring performance of a machine for detection of visible signs of failure, the system comprising:
- a machine enclosure housing a plurality of machine parts disposed within an interior of the machine;
- at least one canal through the machine enclosure, said at least one canal acting as a visual conduit for providing a view into the interior of the machine;
- a guide rail within the canal to facilitate movement of a camera into the interior of the machine; and
- a repair network for linking to a monitoring center to provide for the repair of problems with the machine.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein a second canal comprises a flexible tube.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein a second canal comprises a tube with an internally reflective surface.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second canal comprises a fiber optics cable.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a light source within the at least one canal.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor disposed inside the machine enclosure.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor includes a second camera.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual conduit comprises a material that is transparent to a source of electromagnetic radiation at one or more frequencies.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is mountable on the guide rail.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the camera is configured to move along the guide rail automatically in accordance with a program.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motor to control movement of the camera.
12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external controller to control movement of the camera.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 5, 2014
Date of Patent: Aug 23, 2016
Patent Publication Number: 20140218500
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (Armonk, NY)
Inventors: Chandrasekhar Narayanaswami (Wilton, CT), Mandayam Thondanur Raghunath (Fishkill, NY), Ramon Caceres (New York, NY), Stefan Berger (New York, NY)
Primary Examiner: John Villecco
Application Number: 14/173,113
International Classification: G01N 21/88 (20060101); G02B 23/24 (20060101); G06Q 10/00 (20120101); G07C 3/00 (20060101); H04N 7/18 (20060101); G01N 21/954 (20060101); G01N 21/01 (20060101);